


Trials

by Elyorn



Category: The Legend of Zelda (Video Game 1986), The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Bugs & Insects cw, Link's Queen, My Inner Life, Paralysis cw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-26
Updated: 2014-06-26
Packaged: 2018-02-06 07:27:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1849510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elyorn/pseuds/Elyorn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Royal Potioneer of the Hyrulian Royal Family is requested by a newly minted Captain of the Hyrulian Legion in a last-ditch attempt to prove that he and his legion are worthy of their status.<br/>Set in the universe of My Inner Life by Link's Queen (reasons inside).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a pretty short story that focuses on a character I made up for my eventual attempt at a sequel (or maybe a rewrite) to My Inner Life, so it follows that AU's established facts.  I'll put content/trigger warnings above each chapter if possible just in case but the major ones are listed in the tags; if you need to know if the story has any specific ones, feel free to contact me.
> 
> Please leave comments and critique!
> 
> Chapter 1 Warnings  
> Hunger & Food (also; hunger pains), animal blood mention

**Chapter 1**

As the final ingredients fell into the bubbling red mixture, a great snarl erupted from the stomach of its brewer.  
"Soon," She comforted herself, "We'll eat soon."

Leaving the potion to boil, the Royal Potioneer Kifan Oddtisane re-focused on her list of 'to dos'. As she un-rolled the scroll the end brushed against her shoes. Unphased, she found her place on the list.

_300 Bottles of Red Potion - ordered by Captain Amerghin, 8th Royal Hyrulian Legion_

Kifan picked up her ornate feather quill and drew a line through the entry.  
3 hours simmer, bottle, clean cauldron, next item, she thought as she rolled the scroll back up. Kifan set her Griffen made clockwork timer for three hours and dropped it in to her apron's front pocket. Her stomach gurgled again.

"Alright," She sighed "let's go." and she headed to the Laboratory exit.

As she reached out for the handle, she heard a sigh on the other side of the door. She paused and strained to listen to the mutterings of the person outside. She was still for what felt like an eternity as she bore witness to her guest's angry yet unintelligible murmurings.

 _Guest?_ She thought, _Well, they'd have to be here to see me; no one comes down this far unless they're asking me for potions or grabbing something from the food storage. There's no libraries, sitting rooms or meeting areas this deep under the castle, only cold stone corridors, store rooms and the lingering scent of burnt hair._

The clack of heels against cobblestone pulled her away from her thoughts. She panicked.

Kifan ripped open the Laboratory door, crashing the wood against the wall; shocking her visitor whose back arched in fear. They turned and faced Kifan, a look of utter shock on their face.  
Not registering this or perhaps not caring, Kifan studied her mystery guest.  
 _Military Uniform, Captain Insignia, male, blond, unfamiliar._

"Hello," He shook off his surprise as he greeted her. He extended his right hand.  
Kifan stared back and ignored his invitation. "I'm Captain Link Silverblade of the 28th Royal Hyrulian Legion," he pulled his hand back, "I'm told that you are the person I go to for potion requests?"

Kifan nodded. The Captain cleared his throat and continued.  
"I was going to knock but I had... second thoughts. You see, I'm not sure if the potion I need actually exists."  
Kifan turned and walked over to an old shelf. She pulled out one of the many books and opened it.

"What does it do?" She asked, flipping through the pages.

"Oh, um.." The Captain looked behind him quickly before entering the Laboratory and shutting the door behind him, "It's uh..."

"What."

"I'm after a shipment," He pressed his palms together, "of stamina potions."

Kifan slammed the book shut; the sound hurt Link's ears.  
"Those exist and are highly illegal."

"That's very true, but they're only illegal because they use the blood of Unipegs. Without the blood, they'd technically be legal-"

"Nobody's made stamina potions without Unipeg blood because-"

"Nobody's tried." He interrupted her; A hesitant smile grew on Link's face.

Kifan narrowed her eyes at him, giving her stare a fresh and uncomfortable sting. Internally, Kifan was weighing his words. Never had a Military man behaved so informally to her; having arguments outside her door, interrupting her, asking for illegal materials and then explaining how to skirt the law. Simply unusual for the upper echelon of Hyrulian Command.  
 _This Link fellow,_ Kifan decided, _Is interesting_.

Believing Kifan's stare to be one of malice, Link tried to make an appeal.  
"I don't mean to bother you, it's just- I need this potion. I've was just promoted to Captain and the recruits they've posted to me have never seen a sword before let alone a day in combat! If I can't prove myself a leader or my soldiers worthy enough, we'll be as useless as statues on the battlefield."  
Kifan seemed unmoved by his plea but her expression slowly changed. To Link, it appeared as though she was suffering from severe stomach pains

"I may be able to make this potion, but it could take days...weeks...possibly a month. Maybe a year. At worst, a decade."

"Whatever you can do will be more than enough," Link sighed in relief.  
Kifan replaced the book she held and took down another.

"Come back in a week, I'll give you an update." Kifan walked to the counters that lined the room, "Or maybe a month. Come by in a couple of years."

"A week," Link confirmed, "I'll visit again in a week."

Link took his leave and headed out of the Laboratory and walked back to the surface. His chest burned with pride; with Kifan's help, he knew that his Legion will become the best Hyrule had ever seen. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 Warnings  
> Insects, Bees, paralysis mention, hunger, blood mention

**Chapter 2**

  
Kifan flipped through the thick leather bound book, her own handwriting spanned the pages. She turned the page and found the what she was looking for; the entry on Veenabees.

Kifan remembered the day she drafted this entry. She had captured a few Veenabees while out collecting other samples and had accidentally been stung by one. She ended up visiting a healer who forced her to ingest the most rancid concoction of herbs she had ever tasted. Originally, she scrawled the findings on to a pillow case until the bee's paralytic venom made its way through her system. The healer had taken over writing then, taking down what Kifan dictated to them until the paralysis affected her throat. That was also the day she found out that the venom didn't cause the vital organs to stop functioning, which at the time was considered quite a bonus.

Kifan quickly scanned the page until she found the passage she sought.

_Veenabees' honey stomachs are so powerful that they are able to refine the properties of the honey they store. This process centuples the energy and nutrition of the honey, allowing the ingester to have enough energy to perform their duties and to create the paralytic toxin found in their sting._

_Perfect,_ she jotted down a quick note, this _sounds so much more effective then Unipeg blood. I'll have to go back to the Hive I found those few years ago and see if I can collect any of their honey._

_What other properties would a stamina potion need?_   She thought, _Unipeg blood stamina potions also had a healing effect; decreasing the chance of aching extremities after extended exercise; but the honey, as I recall, did not heal the bees._

With that thought, she pulled down another tome and flicked through its pages, noting ingredients as she went. The shrill peal of the Griffen alarm rang out from her apron, startling her. She snatched the timer from her pocket and slammed it against the counter top; the alarm faltering with a groan.

Kifan turned and glared at the cauldron with an indifferent disgust. Now that she had something much more interesting to focus on, bottling 300 bottles of red potion was not an attractive idea.

She knew, however, that her position as Royal Potioneer relied on the performing menial tasks such as this, so she forced herself away from her work and began the boring bottling process. Kifan extinguished the fire and dragged the crate of empty bottles towards the cauldron and ladled three servings of potion in to each container. Her stomach rumbled.

"Soon," She muttered, "We'll eat soon."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 Warnings  
> heights, bees, paralysis, anxiety, panic, injury

**Chapter 3**

As she caught her breath, Kifan admired the view of the valley. From her place on top of the cliff, she could see the entirety of Hyrule field, the roofs of Lon Lon Ranch, and even there, in the distance, the gleam of Hyrule Castle's walls. It would be a breath-taking sight if she hadn't already lost hers climbing up the rocky cliff face.

Kifan turned and walked in to the trees. She strained to hear any sound indicating the presence of the Veenabees. As she trod along the dirt path, sour thoughts began to cloud her mind. For a moment, she felt as though finding the bees would be the catalyst of her destruction; the one and only problem that would force her from her position as the official Potioneer of the Royal Family of Hyrule. She hadn't had the gig long enough to allow any screw ups. Breaking the law wasn't something that was just _forgiven_.

Slowly, Kifan became aware of a sound that she felt more then she heard. A low rumbling vibration rippled through her body and she wandered off the dirt path to locate it. Soon, the tremor coupled with a buzzing sound that Kifan followed to the Hive.

It was just as she remembered; 9 feet tall, 4 feet wide and hanging off a thin birch tree. The sharp bend in the birch's trunk an testament of its quick construction.  Bees flew all around the hive, the air was thick with them. Kifan dropped her bag to the earth, crunching the dried leaves and sticks scattered on the forest floor. She pulled out her bee keeping suit and put it on carefully, ensuring it was secure. She did not want a repeat of her initial encounter.

According to her research, Kifan needed 2 teaspoons of honey for each serving of stamina potion. It was only an estimate and she wasn't sure it would be enough. What she was sure of, however, was her reluctance to make a return trip. It is uncommon for Potioneers to leave their lab. They had all their ingredients and potions shipped to and from their place of work. Sometimes they had to go out to collect their own stock but it was only for rare things. The fact that she was out today forced Kifan to think up three Main Lies and four Back Ups.

Re-focusing on her task, she used a sharp knife to slice in to the crust of the hive, removing a piece of its skin. Honey dripped from the gash, exposing the comb beneath. It glimmered in the sunlight; a precious sight for Kifan.

The bees began to take notice of their odd visitor; at first curiously but as soon as they realized her actions, they started to attempt to sting her through the protective lining of her suit. She knew that none of their stings would land, but she felt a hint of worry; would they follow her back to the cliff-face? or would they, as she hoped, buzz off?

She cut out pieces of honey-comb and placed them in to the many bottles she had bought with her, eventually filling them all. She carefully re-stacked the bag, giving the bees enough time to realize that she had stopped 'attacking' their hive. She slung the bag over her shoulder, displacing several angry insects, and walked back to the path.

As she got further away from the hive, the bees slowly lost interest in her. Their numbers lessening until the only evidence of their presence was the distant thrumming vibration she had felt the few hours before.

Kifan reached the cliff face and stared out over the Kingdom. Her mind churned over with ideas. She imagined capturing a Queen Veenabee and starting her own colony but she knew she couldn't. Veenabees were too dangerous; she couldn't allow them a presence in Hyrule.

Believing herself to be safe, Kifan peeled off the bee suit. As she slid off the pants she felt a stab in the palm of her hand. She hissed as pain exploded in her in her palm. She pulled her hand away and saw a small bee pumping its paralytic venom into her flesh.

Fear flared in her chest; In three hours time, she could be completely paralyzed.

Jumping in to action, Kifan flicked the bee out away stuffed the suit into her bag. The flesh of her palm tingled uncomfortably as the venom began its work. Securing the bag to her back, she descended the cliff face. She climbed quickly as her hand lost feeling. She had almost reached the bottom when she couldn't move her wrist anymore.

Straining to find the strength to support herself with one hand, she struggled the rest of the way down. She whistled for her horse, Graham, who plodded over as she caught her breath. With some difficulty, she climbed on to the saddle and nudged him along. It would take a whole hour to reach Castle Town and another half to reach her Laboratory.

She nudged Graham into a run and the world flew by. Kifan started to fear becoming paralyzed in public; her mind cooking up unrealistic scenarios and panic rippled through her stomach as they played out in her mind. Her heart raced and her mouth grew dry, and the tingling spread to her forearm.

_Red Potion_ , the thought struck her _, Red Potion will help my body purge the venom from my system._  
It would take too long to make a batch; I'll have to take some from Amerghin's shipment.  
I need to get home.

Kifan slowed Graham to a walk as they reached Castle Town moat. Her shoulder began to tingle as she realised that she couldn't feel her arm anymore. Kifan barely registered her surroundings as panic gripped her, Graham was on his own as he weaved his way through the crowds. 

He plodded up the dirt path to the castle and Kifan let out a small cry; her heart swelled with hope as she took in the tall white walls of Hyrule Castle. She was so close to being safe.

Leaving Graham with a stable boy, she entered the castle through a servants entrance and hurried through the corridors and found an entrance to the underground. Her heart thumped in her chest as she ran, not bothering to slow down for the workers who crossed her path. Past the kitchens and laundry, the maid quarters and heating rooms and down again, further and further until she was in the lowest part of the Castle.  She reached the laboratory door, dragging one foot behind her.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she fumbled for her key, searching through her pockets. she grimaced then as she realised why the paralysation had taken such a quick hold.

"The faster your heart beats, the quicker the toxin travels the body!" She grunted angrily, bashing her fist against her forehead. The Laboratory door key fell out from the under the brim of her hat, landing with a clink on the store floor.

"Of course," she muttered as she picked it up, "where else would I have put it?"

She unlocked the door and threw it open;

"No," she gasped, "No, NO!"

The room was empty; the crates of red potion were gone.  
 _Delivered. What am I going to do now?_

She dragged herself over to the counters and dropped the bag on the floor.   
" _Think!"_ She hissed, " _What now?!"_

_Emergency medical potion stock,_ the thought flashed through her mind. She acted swiftly; throwing open cupboards, rifling through draws and searching all the cabinets for the emergency potions.   
Kifan knew she had something to help her. No matter how much time passed, she made sure she that the stock of medical potions were enough to treat almost anything. Potioneering was dangerous work, despite what most alchemists would say.

Kifan reached for a draw and her arm slackened; the venom was beginning to move to her left side. Her shoulder was stiff and tingling uncomfortably. In rage, she swiped a stack of parchment off the counter clumsily and the movement caused a glint of light to catch her eye.   
She moved closer to the object and found a small wooden chest on the bookshelf; the candlelight had reflected off the gold clasp. She picked it up carefully and set it on the counter.   
Slowly, she lifted the clasp and looked inside. On a plush cushion sat a vial of golden liquid.   
Kifan smiled and her fears washed away.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 Warnings  
> Bee mention, intense fatigue

**Chapter 4**

A few hours later, Kifan was drafting a test mixture of the honey-based Stamina potion. Thanks to the Gold Potion, the Veenabee's venom purged from her system in a manner of moments. Dubbed the 'Dues Ex Machina' of medical potions; Gold Potion could cure almost anything.

Kifan sprinkled the last of the ingredients into the cauldron on the counter-top. It was small and only held enough liquid for one or two bottles but it was perfect for testing compatible ingredients.

The potion bubbled beside her as she removed a bottle of the Veenabee's honey-comb from its hiding place. She held the comb up to the candle-light; strings of the honey still attached to the pool at the bottom of the bottle. The comb felt squishy in her fingers and she had an urge to take a bite.

Resisting, she shifted in her stool to face the cauldron which by all accounts, was a regular red potion. Kifan lowered the honey-comb in to the cauldron and let it sink beneath the liquid. It bubbled easily; seemingly no different despite the new ingredient. She set to work recording her findings.

Three hours passed; it was almost 11pm. Kifan felt stiff and tired. Yawning, she doused the flame and began to ladle the mixture in to the bottle. She examined the potion through the bottles clear glass. It looked like normal red potion. She sniffed the liquid through the open lid; it was coppery and warm. Normal as well. She sipped the potion; it was sweet. That was different. She drank more and swished the mixture around in her mouth;  It was sugary, thick and gritty.

She made a note about the sweetness and drank more to test its affects. A few minutes passed and she still felt tired. She studied the mixture again.  
 _Did the red potion's ingredients cancel out the honey's affects? or was it the heat? should I wait until the potion cools before adding the honey?_ She jotted down her thoughts.

_If I put it in last, it'll sink to the bottom of the bottle in a heap. Should I label it, asking for the user to shake before use? How silly. What if I package it upside down so that they have to turn it the right way up to open it, which is like shaking but not really? What if I shake it before hand? That's so many bottles to deal with. What if I get them to transport the shipments across a bumpy road? what If I shake the crate? What if I make a bottle that shakes itself?_

Her hand flew across the page; her script turning illegible as her thoughts scrambled from one idea to another. She realised this and stopped and noticed a tapping sound. She soon realised it was her foot tapping relentlessly against the stone flooring. She stood and was awe-struck at how effortless it felt to move. She wasn't tired, wasn't stiff, and felt as if she was truly and utterly awake for the first time of her life. She felt energized and ready to tackle anything.

Except she had no idea what to do.  
But then she did.

Kifan's "To Do" list  was endless. Originally, it was a list of chores on a chalkboard but it became so cluttered in notes that she had to re-locate the list to a 3 foot long scroll of parchment. Newer additions, however, had added 2 more feet to the bottom of the list, making it almost as tall as its owner.  She un-rolled the scroll and skimmed its contents; majority of entries were potion requests and some were chores. Tacked on to the end was a foot worth of reminders to finish paperwork for previous deliveries. She always forgot about the paperwork.

Her mind churned as plans for the rest of the night formed in her mind. Kifan rushed to the door on the south wall of her lab and threw it open; letting the candle light spill on to three large spare cauldrons. One by one, she dragged them out of the storage cupboard by the main cauldron already in the Labratory. She built up the fires to the four cauldrons and filled them all with standard potion water and prepared the ingredients.

Her hands flew as she chopped, crushed, diced, slit and grated all the required ingredients. She moved from cauldron to cauldron, heaping handfuls of herbs into each one. When the mixtures began to stew, Kifan moved to the counter pulled out a roll of fresh parchment. On them she wrote information about recent deliveries; the potion, the requester, the cost and more. 

After what felt like a few minutes, the Griffen made timer exploded with sound. Shrill peals rang out and startled Kifan, causing her to splatter ink across the page. She swiped the timer off the counter and it fell to the floor with a crack, its ringing ceasing immediately.

Kifan examined the timer; she was sure she had set it for three hours, how could it have gone off so soon? She glanced at the pile of parchment and realised how large it had grown. Had 3 hours really past? It felt like no time at all!

She checked the cauldrons and it was true; they were ready for bottling. She sped through the process and the potions were still hot inside the bottles as she sealed them in to their crates. She pushed them over to the door for pick up. As she night wore on, more and more crates stacked up against the Laboratory doorway and she ran out of space. She re-located many to the corridor outside, making the walkway even harder to move through.

 After 9 hours of intense, unbridled energetic movement and thought, the effects of the stamina potion slipped and fatigue flooded Kifan. Her demeanour withered and she collapsed against the counter. She felt the sweet embrace of sleep as she nestled in to the pile of paper.

A thick pop startled her awake. Her eyes stang as she looked around. The four cauldrons bubbled steadily behind her. She dropped her face in to her hands and rubbed her eyes harshly and watched the myriad of colours play out beyond her sight. She pulled her hands away and stared blankly at the surface of the counter. As the rest of the world slowly came back into focus, so did the half filled bottle of red potion.

_Red potion? no, it's the stamina potion from earlier, but half full? After such an intense burst of energy, surely I drank the whole thing!_

But there it sat, pushed aside by the mountain of paperwork. Another thick pop sounded behind her. Kifan groaned and began to eye the stamina potion wearily; her nose prickled at the mere idea of 9 more hours of fevered work. It felt too much, as if the last 9 hours had been the limit; but the current situation was desperate.

Another pop.

_Blue potion. Why did I have to make Blue Potion? and so much of it? I used up all the ingredients. I don't have any more to make another batch if I tried again tomorrow. It takes so long for them to be delivered! If I don't make sure this batch is brewed properly, I won't be able to meet the deadline._

Kifan sighed and picked up the stamina potion. She sipped at it gingerly. Perhaps less of the honey she drank, she less of an energy hit she would receive? She grabbed a stray piece of parchment and wrote the thought down, her hand slowly building speed as the potion worked its magic.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5 Warnings  
> food, eating,

**Chapter 5**

The Captain knocked on the Laboratory door and held his breath. A week had passed since his visit and every day he worried more about Kifan's progress. Beyond the door, he heard the bubbling of liquid and the crackle of a wooden fire but no signs of life. He longed for her to answer the door, he didn't want to leave without hope.

"Has it been a year already?" Came a voice from behind him. Link stiffened and turned, his lantern casting light across Kifan's face. White sugar coated her mouth and she held a half-eaten powdered pastry in one hand and a basket of more in the other.

 "It's only been a week." Link lowered the lantern.

Kifan did not reply. She pushed past him, forcing him against the stone walls of the corridor. His back burnt from the damp coldness as he watched Kifan reach in to her shoe and pull out a worn silver key. She unlocked the door and walked inside, leaving it open for him. Link placed his lantern on a crate just inside the door and followed her, stopping a respectful distance away. Kifan left the bread basket on a stool and shifted through papers on the counter, ignoring Link's presence. Eventually, she opened a draw and pulled out a full bottle of red potion.

"This is from the first draft," Kifan said as she set it on the counter top. Link examined it from afar; it looked so ordinary.

"That's red potion, isn't it?" he lent forward, attempting to get a closer look without moving.

"Increased stamina means increased physical activity, and if the body isn't ready for that level of movement it could become injured. The red potion heals any damage that may be caused by that." Kifan stated as she scribbled notes down on the papers she held, "The honey's mixed in with the red potion. It works quite well."

Link carefully strode over to the counter top and picked up the bottle. He examined the seemingly amazing liquid closely. Then, he popped off the lid and went to take a swig.

"No!" Kifan shouted, swatting the bottle out of his hand. It fell against the counter and the mixture splattered everywhere, covering several items in goo.

"That mixture has too much honey in it! You'd be bouncing off the walls for hours! Your delivery is over there," Kifan pointed to the two crates by the door; Link had set his lantern on one of them, "It'll be delivered to your legion's barracks tomorrow morning."

She walked over to the crates and opened one; there was enough in one to last at least 3 months.

"That's quite a lot," Link murmured as he looked over the bottles, "How did you get enough honey to make all these?"

"The honey is so strong that it needs to be diluted. This was the most reasonable mixture, as it gives the drinker three hours of energy per serving which allows an increased level of physical activity without the harsh fatigue that occurs when the potion wears off in more concentrated doses." Kifan answered as she re-sealed the crate's lid.

"Thank you," Link smiled, "This will really help my Legion with their training."

"It's my job." Kifan replied and walked back to the counters. She took a pastry from the basket and bit heavily into it.

"Really though, you didn't have to do this, but you did; I didn't know how but you did..." Link ran his fingers through his hair, the realization that his tropes would be okay finally hitting him, "Honestly, if there's anything you need, just tell me and I'll do whatever I can to help you. Heck, I'll even take the request to Princess Zelda personally!" He laughed; the relief was sweet.  
Kifan narrowed her eyes at him again but the stare wasn't as piercing as it was a week before.

"Okay," She agreed,  "I'll find you."

Link smiled again, happy that in some way Kifan was warming up to him. He strode the few short steps to the door, grabbing his lantern off the crate.

"Thank you Kifan, and goodbye." he nodded to her. He turned, walked out of the lab and closed the door.

"Goodbye." He heard Kifan say before the door clicked shut; he grinned all the way back to the surface.

 

 

 


	6. Epilouge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilouge Warnings  
> sparing, combat, injuries mention

**Epilouge**

Captain Link Silverblade jogged down the stairs that ran along the perimeter of the training field; behind him, two of his soldiers struggled to carry a wooden crate. Link stepped on to the grass and pointed to the ground beside him; the soldiers dropped the crate and joined their peers.

"Alright troops, today we're going to learn hand to hand combat." He announced. A few of the soldiers groaned and the Captain suppressed a chuckle. Link pried the lid off the crate and squinted as the sun reflected off the rows of bottles inside. He pulled one out and held it up for his soldiers to see.

"This is a red potion," he shook the bottle slightly for emphasis, "Some of you may have seen or used one before; they're standard medical supplies. These particular potions, however, have been altered to work slowly; to heal injuries as they occur instead of curing them all at once after the fact."

"I've heard of that," One of his soldiers whispered to another, "It's sugar water and you only think it's doing something; like whatsit, a placebo."

Link ordered his soldiers to line up and he handed them each a bottle. He began to explain the days lesson but most of his troops were more interested in the potion then his words. When he paired them up and started explaining the moves, they paid more attention.

It didn't take long for the potions to work; each member practically vibrated with excitement as they watched Link demonstrate the moves. Pride burned in his chest as he watched them power through their practice; they eagerly attempted each stance, position and play with their sparring partners. It was amazing to see them move so freely, as if they had been training for years.

The Captain looked down at the crate, picked up a bottle and studied its contents.   
_Maybe,_ he thought, _I'll take one or two of these home to use myself.  
Heck, I might even make a dent in my paperwork. _


End file.
